The Disappearance of Zero
by Riesher Vlad
Summary: After all the tiring and hilarious adventures of the main characters of Tristain Academy, Louise mysteriously vanished out of the blue without any traces. They set out to look for the friend they lost. But is she really lost?
1. Last Hope

Tristain Academy of Magic had remained sadly peaceful. Classes were consecutively held, students were living their daily lives with lessons of magic and magic only. The land of Tristain, who was once a laying ground of villains of monstrous proportions, magicians seeking for power, familiars loyally serving their masters had come to the point where even a rotten mouse would not show up. No sudden explosions, no instant breaking of buildings, no stray magic, no fights and no sign of a pink-haired troublemaker.

Healthy trees grew rapidly at this certain time, with leaves not covered with magic powders or burned spots, neither cut parts; it gathered and filled the whole village, no magic fires and forest fires burnt them down. The wild flowing river was cool and pure, flowing with its grace and providing clean water for everyone's benefits, it was crystal clear, not filled with poisonous magic potions that have once swallowed the depths of the river. The skies were evidently blue, with no traces of silver and gray smokes coming from blasts of magic wands. The grounds were sturdy and stiff, with no rock golems coming out from under without warning. The village newspaper was filled with wonderful news about the success of different kinds of people, no horrifying news about assassins roaming around.

Aristocrats were happy being with their familiars, and familiars were glad to help their masters in anyways. Except for one…

"Have you found her? It's already midnight!"

A flame-haired nice-bodied woman asked looking worried and hopeless, beside her was a small-figured girl, holding a staff, and was covering her face with a witch's hat, reading a book.

A boy went inside, carrying the wind glancing on his hair, closing the door and hiding the darkness of the midnight, a seemingly old-styled sword behind his back, he was bowing down as he got inside, and eventually fell on his knees. When the girl saw him, she hurriedly jumped to him, and held his forehead, hot as the flame she wields. She recognized the bruise marks and wounds on his arms, some portions of his pants were ripped.

"Saito! What happened? Tell me!" she insisted. He partially opened his eyes, having blurry vision of the situation, he struggled to stand up, but struggling just makes his pain worse. She gestured him to stop moving and close his eyes, with nothing in his mind, he closed his eyes to sleep.

It was already late in the morning when he woke up, panting hard. When he tried to stand, there was a sharp pain on his back and that made him fall back to bed again. Trying hard to open his eyes as the bright light opposes his beckon.

"Don't move . . ." a girl beside him whispered. When he looked to the side, he saw a blue-haired girl.

"Tabitha . . . Why are you here?" he asked forceless.

"Saito . . . You came back home late last night . . ."

With her words, he remembered his adventures last night, remembering it made him furious and depressed. Faint tears unconsciously dripped down his cheeks, he was trying to hide it but Tabitha is smart enough to know.

"I . . . couldn't find _her_ . . ." he softly groaned.

"You didn't . . . you _could _always"

Kirche came inside, shutting the door softly, the light reflected on her flame hair as she looked at Saito fiercely.

"You idiot! *cry* Why go off your limits?" she cried and hugged him.

"Kirche-san, I-I" he stammered, still having his attention to her breasts.

There was a knock at the door. The three of them looked at each other. Kirche stood up and opened the door.

"I heard Saito was back, and I heard right" Osmond said, with his hands placed formally at his back. He walked slowly inside, with the unusual serious expression on his face (refer to his usual behavior). "So how was your journey?"

They all turned to Saito, eager for an answer.

He remained silent, but with the livid picture on his face, he carelessly clenched his fist which had been injured by muscle cramps probably because of over using it.

"It's okay if you don't want to answer," Osmond said.

"Let's leave Saito to rest fir-"

"I don't know," Saito interrupted Kirche.

"You don't know what?" Osmond asked.

Saito clenched his fist even tighter, and gritted his teeth. "I don't know where else to find her," he moaned.

Kirche's eyes widened with her mouth opening to speak. "What do you mean?" she shouted.

Tabitha stood up, pushing her flowing cape behind, and picked up her wooden staff.

"**Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière**is forever lost to us"


	2. Tabitha's Premonition

"Tabitha! Stop it!" Kirche said.

" . . . Why? Do you still believe she'll be found?" Tabitha said in a mellow voice (as usual).

"She'll be back! We'll find her!" Kirche insisted, her eyes were turning red, and watery, small circles of smoke were surrounding her.

"She's lost for almost a year, Kirche . . ."

With Tabitha's words, Saito felt his energy continuously being drained from the inside; he can't talk back anymore. To think of it in reality, Louise might really not be coming back. His mind was urging him to give up, but his heart was fervent in finding the girl he fell in love with. He looked down to see his condition, _pathetic, _he thought. His whole body was almost wrapped with bandages and gauze, and this also discouraged him. He was badly injured in searching for Louise; he climbed steep mountains, battled all kinds of golems and familiars, and defeated his hopeless self. He felt tingly all over, trying to hide his loneliness and stopping his tears.

_Where are you Louise? _

_. . . ._

_The year before…_

It was a bright sunny day, they were on a beach for vacation, and it was at the side of Mt. Luchiverre. The palm trees were swaying benevolently with the warm wind, the sand were bread white, and the best part, to see those friends in Tristain Academy having fun, especially if Louise would make an unexpected explosion again.

"You stupid servant! Idiot, idiot, idiot! I will let you eat sand for lunch if you keep on looking at Tiffa's bazoongas! You stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Here comes the pink-haired star of the show chasing around her perverted servant, Saito Hiraga. Tiffa came with them, as insisted by the old man Osmond, which displeased Zero Louise drastically. Probably because she doesn't have boobs with the size of heads, she has a nice, fresh, flat board.

"Damn it! Not you too, Riesher!"

(Okay, that was just for fun, forget who Riesher is )

Louise wore pink swimsuit with truffles on it (to hide her flatness), and white short skirt, she tied her shiny bright pink hair into ponytail; it truly matched her hair and soft pinkish skin.

"Now, now, guys, please settle down and have lunch," Siesta called out to them for lunch. When Saito turned around, he caught a glimpse at Siesta, she blushed really hard when he saw her, and so is he.

Siesta wore an aquamarine bikini that fitted perfectly to her slender body and shapely breasts. Louise looked pissed in seeing him looking at Siesta, so here she gone again, raised her wand, "Idiot. Idiot. Idiot!" she shouted. And then there was a BOOM.

Saito was burnt and knocked down under ground.

"My, my, Louise, you're too harsh!" Kirche scolded. And hugged Saito tightly, helping him to get up, Louise trembled in anger and went away with a 'hmph!'

"Tabitha! We should get lunch!" she called out for Tabitha who was under a shade of a tree, practicing spells alone.

"Yes . . . I'm coming" she answered; she got up, picked up her things and went closer to them. A faint force somewhat stopped her feet from walking, sand gathered up on her feet, burying it, she pulled his feet away, her face looked suspicious.

"Wha-"

"Tabitha! We can't wait any longer!" shouted Kirche.

Tabitha looked at her feet again, shaking it to remove dust. _Strange, _she thought.

"I-I cooked lunch for everyone, so if you want . . ."

They all went under a hut to have their lunch; everyone put on their shirts hurriedly and prepared to eat.

"ALRIGHT!" shouted Saito who was already munching on the fried chicken Siesta presented. "It's delicious Siesta!"

Louise pouted while holding her bowl of food, her face turned into Godzilla again, and then there was a sound of fist hitting bones. Crack.

"Who said you can eat without my permission?"

Tabitha was only staring at her food, the thing about earlier kept bugging her.

_I know something weird happened, _she thought.

The problem is, she doesn't remember anything.

_I see sand, in my memory, there is sand, earlier, sand . . . _

"Do you not like it, Ms. Tabitha?" Siesta asked. "Then should I give you just desserts, then?"

"I'm fine . . ."

In the afternoon, they continued to have fun under the sun. Montmorency stayed behind, saying she's worried about her complexion, but the truth is, she was spying on Guiche's actions.

Siesta only watched them from afar, smiling by time to time as she sees Saito laughing at certain events. Tiffa was fast asleep, she was too tired.

It was already evening when they decided to stop; Guiche brought fireworks for them to light on and Siesta had again prepared Grilled sea foods and Roasted turkey for their dinner. Louise quickly changed unto her night dress, leaving her hair flowing behind her back and her legs shown off (made all efforts for Saito), her breasts seemed bigger this time.

"Hey, aren't those breast pads?" Saito asked.

Louise turned all red.

"You _baka . . . _Take this!" another loud explosion stronger than the fireworks they brought.

_You can't handle the truth! _He thought.

They all went to the seashore to light up their fireworks. Siesta came too and so is Tiffa who was childishly enjoying the colorful sparklers lighting up the night. Kirche threw fire upwards and exploded into pictures. Tabitha watched it too, with that same emotionless face.

She looked side by side, like searching for someone. "Light of Illumination," she chanted, and her staff lit up like fluorescent, she waved her staff. After few minutes, it caught everyone's attention.

Tabitha flickered her staff and turned unto them, her cape flowing with the cool wind that passed by, she raised her face that was covered with her hat.

She opened her mouth to speak.

"Where is Louise?"


	3. Deception

The day Louise was gone amongst them. The night they thought could be perfect but turned out to be miserable.

Ever since that day, they seemed to forget what 'rest' and 'stop' means. They've keenly searched every town, every village, every nation, and every kingdom they could look for. But there was no Louise. Sweat and blood were what they wasted, willingness and belief that Louise will be found, but willingness cannot also find her. Falling down on the ground, kissing the dirty mud every time they face danger, their clothes being torn apart, bruise marks and daily wounds, all of these suffering were nothing compared to the suffering they will carry in their hearts if they do not even try searching for their friend who had given them so much memories to remember. Siesta and Tabitha have somehow lost hope that they will still find their vanished friend. They received a letter from Henrietta that she had sent her guards to find Louise, but until now, nothing. It was like searching for a lost wind. It was hell.

Saito walked staggered through the hallway, his head looking downwards, earlier, he bumped almost ten students. Turning three corridors, he managed to get up, but he was not allowed yet to go on and search for Louise. He became somewhat oblivious, longing for the girl who always gave him headaches and stomach pain. He smiled expecting out of the blue that Louise might come and shout at him to do her laundry.

"Hey idiot servant!" he heard a familiar echoing voice. He immediately raised his head.

"Louise?" he shouted, he stood sturdy; turning sideways, "Louise!" he ran straight forward to the hallway and turned to the next corridor, "Louise!"

He fell down, exhausting his currently unsteady body, but he pushed himself to stand up even though his body cannot react anymore, he was shaking. "Lou… Louise…"

No matter how much he calls for her name, neither how much he desires for her, nor how much he struggles to find her, Tabitha's premonition might be right. _Forever… Lost to us…? Like Hell! _He thought.

When he felt a little better, he realized he was in front of Louise's room, looking under the door, he did not think of anything, when he felt like he can stand up again, he held the doorknob to support him in standing, he stood silent for a minute in front of the door, breathing heavily. He turned the doorknob, and the door noisily creaked open, obvious that it was not opened for a long time. Dusts and cobwebs welcomed him, the curtains were still, like they were before, he turned the lights on, and he glanced at the bed where Louise would always lie. And the floor, where he always slept.

He opened the closet, he coughed, her clothes and uniform were all gone. He felt enraged, at the same time, out of strength.

"A-Ah, S-Saito, so it's you, I thought someone sneaked in," Siesta came inside, hearing the door creak and loud thumps of feet called her attention.

"I'm sorry Siesta, for disturbing you, I'll get out right away," he said, not facing her.

"A-About Ms. Louise, is there any news from her?"

"None. But I assure you, we will find her, no matter what the consequences, or obstacles-"he caught a glimpse at a hidden picture frame inside the drawer, light reflected on the light pink eyes of a girl. "-… I will find her"

Siesta was surprised with what he said. This was her first time seeing Saito fired up with rage eyes and willing heart, him being too much serious than usual. She realized just how much important Louise is to him that he would face all kinds of danger to retrieve her. She clenched her chest, hopeless to see Louise again, and hopeless to win Saito's affection. She shook her head, _no time for thinking things about love right now! _She thought.

"I wish you all good luck," she said and hurriedly hugged Saito tightly, "Please find Ms. Louise as soon as possible,"

He smiled and nodded.

Meanwhile in Tabitha's room, she was practicing some rewind spells to wind back what happened a year ago, she insists to herself that she had experienced something before Louise disappeared. Sand was all she can remember.

"Runes of time I gather thee, open up the past that had flee-" a small piece of paper glowed bright green, with symbols of ancient writings circling around it, as she recites the spell, every symbol chronologically lights up with different sparklers, "-Tell me the mystery, that the one that can tell is thee, éclairer le passé dans ma mémoire,"

All the symbols lit up, she opened her eyes and tapped the symbols with her staff.

"Show . . ." she mumbled. The paper glowed even more that it astounded her. All of a sudden, a black shadow covered up the paper, she was surprised, and the paper turned into piles of ashes that the wind blew. The symbols one by one disappear.

"A blocking spell . . ." she muttered. _A powerful one, _she thought.

. . . .

"Well, I've got to go back now, maybe they're already searching for me," Saito said, who was already waving goodbye to Siesta, she waved back. After a few minutes, he was already out of sight

Siesta's eyes became hollow, the curtains behind her flowed rowdily, she turned around.

"Reports…?" said a man wearing a traveler's cloak with his face covered with his hood, he was floating outside the window, a bright circle was surrounding him for him to become invisible.

"The boy's condition shows that he will not be allowed to get out of Tristain Academy yet, my lord. You will have all the time you will need to have Lou-"Siesta reported in a robotic tone.

"That's all I need to know" the man interrupted, and looked at the sky. "Do not let them know your true identity,"

"Yes, my lord," Siesta, who does not seem to be Siesta, bowed down in a kneeling position.

"Her birth is coming near," the man muttered and flew away from the academy.


	4. The Queen

It was a peaceful night. Somewhere in apparently Helgakinia, where no mere human can reach, somewhere no man can cross, lies a vast mansion filled with lights and different kinds of people. Powerful people.

And the mansion, paradoxically, was bigger inside than outside, and located inside the mansion was a secret passage, leading to the nations of Helgekinia, like it was a way to meet Helgakinia. There were a lot of house maids that constantly keep the manor clean except for one that serves not the cleanliness of the household but its safety from intruders. There was also a room intended for a combat boy whose hobby is archery, and hunting. Hunting persons. It also has one bright throne room intended only for one person: Their young and delicate queen.

On that windy yet quiet night, sits the queen. Thinking deeply about something that she cannot tell anyone.

"How is Tristain Academy? Moreover, how are they?" asked a girl, slacking on a throne couch, with her head leaning on her right hand lazily, with her wavy cottony hair resting on her chest.

She was talking to a girl, probably her servant based on the way she spoke to her, the girl was wearing a long black dress that extended all the way down to the floor and which completely covered her shoulder and arms, with frills and puffy sleeves, she has a white apron in front of her dress. Her hair was plain simple, a bob cut.

She was kneeling down with respect to the girl who asked her earlier.

"Yes my queen, Saito Chevalier de Hiraga has returned in Tristain, the other students, Kirche, Tabitha, Guiche, Montmorency-"

"I see. They're all there, huh? They're all together…" she pretended to purposely interrupted. There was sadness with the girl's tone, like disappointed. She turned right to look at the window, where the moon's brightness was peeking. The exact moons who were the witnesses of her love for someone.

The servant carefully stood up and bowed to leave. Her smooth move barely even made a sound. And in nanoseconds, she disappeared, which only left a white sweet-smelling mist as her trace.

_They're all together . . . Saito. _She thought.

"So what, do you wanna go back now?" a boy asked in the dark. Only his eyes were seen in the room's dark part, they were glowing dim yellow, like a light bulb. Slowly, the figure walked into the light, showing a raven-black haired boy wearing a green jacket paired with black pants and a hood that covered his eyes like he didn't want to be recognized. Behind him was an extremely large bow and arrow, bigger than his size.

The girl's face turned supremely serious and solid, she stood in one foot and crossed her arms, her hair tumbling with her every move, her eyes feverishly narrowed. She was wearing a white floor-length dress with gold trimmings, an elegant yet comfortable ritual gown with long pointed hood and finger holes, fastened with pearlescent shell toggle; she was wearing a beaded headdress. Her composure was obviously like one from a noble, or an aristocrat, perhaps, a duke. Her height was average, normal for a teenage girl.

She looked at the two moons intimately, showing her eager eyes.

"No. Not until I get my revenge," she said, still gazing at the moons. Her thoughts about returning to her friends scarcely made a scratch on her urges.

"But I can see in your eyes that you really want to see that Sai-"

"I SAID NO! WHAT PART OF NO CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND? STOP COMMENTING NONSENSE!" she scowled. She accidentally shoved the vase on the table near the window, breaking it into pieces.

"Your eyes are actually saying the opposite," he said.

"Stop it with the eye thing, Rain, I assure you, I will get my revenge no matter what," she hangs her head down dangling, with her hand bleeding because of the vase's shards. Small drops of tears dropped on the floor, sparkling.

She walked away angrily from him, but stopped halfway out the door.

"I will get my revenge," she muttered to herself and continued out again.

"Sure thing," Rain calmly responded.

Then the door shut with a slam.

"She's completely different than the girl I met before," the boy sadly said, heading to the part where the girl stood a while ago and tried noticing the brightness of the two moons. "She's so different… It's their entire fault… They made her like this… They've made her worse"

"But isn't it just puzzling, she had fun with them, we saw it, we watched her everyday life," There was a cute, sharp voice behind his back. He felt his bow and arrow was gone. Or not particularly gone, it transformed into a small girl, just knee-length.

"Angelique, go back," he commanded.

Angelique pouted. "Why, so puny, I could get some fresh air some time, you know it's hard to be wood all the time,"

The girl glowed bright green with her short wavy hair curling inwards her face.

"Someone might see you,"

"Nah. No one would. Besides, this is the queen's room, one will always knock," she excitedly said.

The boy only sighed in defeat and continued thinking again.

She looked around, amazed by the bright fluorescent light that lit up the room. It's sweet fragrance spreading all over. The throne's couch and throne's chair was decorated with jewels and gold, what would you expect if a queen stays there?

"The queen really is fortunate" she nodded. She looked at the boy with worried eyes. "About her…" she mumbled. "Is she under Lord Demetori's power? Did she lose her consciousness? This isn't like her at all…" she said, trying to lighten him up.

"I doubt it. She's completely conscious about what she's doing." He crossed his arms and looked down, his hair scattering on his face.

"Brainwashed, I think…" the girl said, jumping all over the room, naked.

"She? Brainwashed? Probably. I don't know why she wants to get revenge on the students anyway,"

"I know why!" she hungrily said and jumped and hugged on top of the boy's head. "They had fun together, but at the same time, made her suffer,"

"Suffer?"

"Especially that boy, he gave her so much heartaches," she said in monotone, but not caring at all. "And all those girls? They won't just stop giving her headaches,"

The boy smiled.

"I don't know about that,"

"Well, you should, the queen's coronation is near, you know…" she scolded.

His eyes widened in realization and sighed. "Can't get enough, eh? She wants to be crowned in that place…" he smirked.

"She's really desperate you know, but I still believe that she'll change her mind in the middle of the ceremony," she answered, shaking his head.

"I seriously doubt it,"

….

"We've searched every towns and cities in Helgakinia," Saito reassured. He was arguing with Kirche and Tabitha earlier and he finally ended it. There was a map of Helgakinia in front of them, almost crumpled for how many times they had opened and returned it back.

Kirche slammed her hand on the table. "Are you sure? There has to be a town we hadn't searched yet," Kirche nearly started an argument again.

They were researching for other places, remote or a metropolitan, to continue searching for Louise, but it seemed that they had repeated to the same place again and again. Helgakinia is wide enough to hide Louise from them, that's what Saito's point of view while Tabitha insisted that Louise is a high-class Void mage and she can manage to break through any kidnappers alone. Kirche stated that Louise might have gone camping alone. She received a cold shoulder after saying that.

"There is no more places to go to, Saito," Tabitha demanded roughly.

"We'll just have to search the places we have gone to then," he remarked.

"Are you insane? You knew what happened to you when you went, right?" Kirche worriedly said.

Saito gritted his teeth, "This is all for Louise, I can bare it all," Saying that gave him the thought of worry also.

The two were astounded. Tabitha was unnoticing hurtfully stabbed with his words. His love for Louise was real after all. Even though he flirted with other girls, the only girl he ever thought was Louise.

She made all her efforts, even taking Louise's disappearance as an opportunity to have Saito for herself, but her conscience can't take it.

"Hey. Guys," a blonde girl with tight curly hair went inside with also a blonde-haired boy holding a red rose.

Kirche turned to them "Montmorency, what brings you here?"

"Well, Osmond-sama said he wants to visit you three so I think I should come also," _And to keep Guiche away from those pesky girls, _said on top of her voice.

"Osmond-sama?" Kirche wondered. She was alarmed with his voice.

"Hi students…" an old man walked inside, whose enjoying his pipe. An old man went inside with long white mustache and beard. Walking hunched towards them.

"Old Osmond!" Kirche and Saito shouted in unison.

"So, how's your research?"

"I bet they didn't find out anywhere to go," Guiche stated, waving his rose around.

Osmond beckoned him to keep quiet, Guiche's face turned stiff in embarrassment. Montmorency pulled his ear downward to whisper.

"Just shut up!" she said.

"Well, I was just helping,"

"That didn't help at all!"

Osmond gestured the two of them to shut the fuck up.

"So…?"

"Guiche's right apparently," Tabitha responded quickly. She arranged her glasses and pointed at the crumpled map wholly filled with circle marks, showing the places they had went.

"But we just have to search again," Saito countered, shoving his arm.

Tabitha did not answer. It was useless to change Saito's mind anymore.

The old man covered the map with his old wrinkled hand and burned it with his pipe. The paper turned into blak ashes and a small wind blew it off.

"Wha-?"

"You will not see her anywhere somehow," he chuckled.

Saito punched his fist on the table. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING OLD MAN? THAT WAS OUR ONLY HOPE!"

"Hope won't get you to Louise, my boy," he interrupted. "Let me tell you something,"

All of them stopped their train of thoughts and concentrated carefully on Old Osmond's word, noting all the details with it. Tabitha turned away from them, looking at the bright blue sky which they had always soar during missions where Louise and Saito would come and ride also.

"Louise is not in Helgakinia," he stated. Everyone was surprised in confusion.

"What do you mean? Not in Helgakinia? Then what, in Japan? How ridiculous is that?" Saito exclaimed but the thought of Louise's World door cut off his words.

"No. Not in Helgakinia nor in your country," he assumed. "She is a void bearer, and has the world door,"

Tabitha snapped, like she had remembered something, her face said 'Is she there?'. "Don't tell me-"

Osmond nodded. "Yes. She is between our world and Saito's world. The Central world, Anusha."

Everyone was like 'Anusha'? What in the world is that? Their faces were all engraved with such wonder and curiosity yet still focusing in listening to the old man.

"It's only a legend, Old Osmond," Tabitha said.

"It is not, Tabitha, there is a dimension between Helgakinia and His world, the world also known as 'the beautiful sky', Anusha, the world door is only limited to open a door to another world once. And it would take five years to open a door again, if she is not in our world, she wouldn't possibly be in your world, Saito, it had only been a year, she's probably in Anusha" he finished.

What is with this world of the beautiful sky or Anusha? Does it have something to do with Louise? Moreover, why would Louise be inside that world? Is she impelled? Or did she just personally went there?


End file.
